With lines beginning to blur, one has to wonder: is the gay bar a thing of the past?

Sure, most would still refer to Rich’s as primarily a gay bar, and Urban Mo’s has kept its fun, campy flair that appeals to the gay community, but even Rich’s and Urban Mo’s clientele have become more mixed.

With the opening of Universal, billed as an “omnisexual” night club, a new trend in nightlife has emerged; labels are disintegrating. Bars no longer need to identify as gay bars or straight bars. They’re simply bars.

The boundaries used to be clear. Gay men congregated at Rich’s, Flicks, Numbers, The Brass Rail, Bourbon Street, etc. Lesbians flocked to The Flame and Club Bombay and Six Degrees before it closed in 2006.

Then, slowly, we saw the men’s and women’s crowds begin to mix and mingle. Even on many of the nights promoted for women, men began to attend, and for many younger bar patrons, that’s OK. There are still the boys and girls who complain about members of the opposite sex invading their territory, but, for the most part, the sexes are happy to mix and mingle. The mixed crowd brings a new, positive energy to the environment.

Taking it one step further, we’re beginning to see more heteros out in what were once considered gay bars. The average boy bar has always had its fill of fag-hags, but now we’re seeing scores of straight hipsters – boys and girls – heading to gay bars and clubs for the atmosphere, the music and the attitude.

The old notion we gays need secret hideaways in Hillcrest is fading. Our bars and clubs played a big role in the early days of our community, many of them serving as the gathering places for gays and lesbians. Most of the bars, though, served as safe havens for people who weren’t out of the closet.

As the lines blur, the bars and clubs are adjusting, though. One example is The Ruby Room, a new bar set to open this weekend.

The former San Diego Sports Club was bought last summer by a local couple, Brittni and Sean Cute. The bar will re-open as The Ruby Room tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 17 and the owners say it is going to be an “undoubtedly bitchin’ party.” There will be free food from 8-9 p.m. by Lucha Libre Taco Shop and music by Rafter, The Widows, DJ Edgartronic and DJ The Night Rocker. Some of the weekly and monthly events the bar will feature include Burlesque Brunch, Too Cool for Karaoke, Super Thursday (local art event), belly dancers and live music on the venue’s sizeable stage.

The space has been reinvented and I am excited to check it out. To show just how gay-friendly the new space is, there’s even a rainbow flag hanging on the bar. How cute is that? For more information on The Ruby Room, including a link to its MySpace page, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/ 1086.

So now that gay bars are being invaded by straight patrons, does this mean we can migrate Downtown and to Pacific Beach? Well, there are certainly some night spots in those areas that are friendlier than others, but we’ll never know until we try.

October is one of my favorite months and my next column will come out just a day before the ultimate gay holiday, Halloween! I’ll have the scoop on all the hot events going on around town next time!